Hoffman: Metro expresses route possibility

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, September 30, 2004

"It's in the planning stage. We are determining how many buses and how many drivers it would take and whether it would be practical — whether there would be enough people riding it," said Metro spokesperson Ken Connaughton.

Right now, the proposal is to run buses from the Downtown Transit Center on Travis and St. Joseph to Terminal C at Bush Intercontinental Airport — and vice-versa — every 30 minutes during the day.

"Cost, fare and source of funding issues must be worked out before a decision is made. So I don't have a date for start of service," Connaughton said.

It's about time, Metro. It's unbelievable that Houston doesn't already provide an inexpensive way for people to get from the airport to downtown. Almost every other major city has buses or trains to take visitors to places where they can spend money.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column about taking the No. 102 "Airport Express" bus from Bush Intercontinental to downtown.

Express? The bus makes 37 stops, and at one point the driver got out of the bus to drink an orange soda.

Did my column have anything to do with Metro exploring a nonstop bus from the airport to downtown? No.

Will I take credit for the bus if it happens? Absolutely.

• Today's trivia: Lt. John Dunbar is the major character of an Oscar-winning movie. Dunbar goes by a second name in the movie — what is it?

•The Houston Rockets had a wild promotion last week. The team hired Brink's armored trucks to deliver invitations to a party for Tracy McGrady at Toyota Center.
The Rockets invited 1,000 business leaders, media hoo-ha's, politicians and movers, but not necessarily shakers.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine invitations were delivered successfully.

One wasn't — mine.

I got a phone call from the Rockets — "the Brink's guy just called and said he can't deliver your invitation because Brink's armored trucks aren't allowed to make a pickup or delivery on a residential street."

There's something I never knew.

So I had to meet the Brink's truck in the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme. The driver got out of the truck, handed me a package and drove off. It looked like your basic armored truck robbery. I think Al Pacino should play me in the movie.

The invitation was printed on a mini-basketball. The hook is, show up at the party and Tracy McGrady will swap an autographed NBA game ball for the mini-basketball.

McGrady is going to sit there and autograph 1,000 basketballs in one hour? Aren't the Rockets concerned about carpal tunnel syndrome or hand fatigue?

"Judging from Tracy's past (two league scoring titles), he'll find a way to put the ball in the basket," said Nelson Luis, director of media relations for the Rockets.

•CarbWatchers Tortillas, only 2 net carbs each, are now available at H.E.B. and Kroger supermarkets and ... Academy sports stores.
CarbWatchers Tortillas are made by Labrada Nutrition, owned by Houston fitness czarLee Labrada. The tortillas come in eight flavors.

Remember, the tortillas are low carb — what you put in them, that's between you and your waistline.